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Generally, an act of two vehicles, maybe more, engaging in an illegal contest of speed on various public thoroughfares. Historically, street racing in America got it's start in the 1960's when the three main American car companies were producing high powered rear-wheel-drivecars called muscle cars (example's include the Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, and the Ford Mustang as well as many others). A private racing venue was not always available, and therefore the race would be held illegally on public roads, typically uncrowded highways on city outskirts or in the countryside, though some races were held in industrial complexes. One popular venue was Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Movies like "American Graffiti" and "Two Lane Blacktop" illustrated this culture and gained a cult following in the process.
Fast forward to the mid to late 80's where young men based in southern California began modifying small compact 4 cylinder engine import cars, specifically the Honda Civic, and racing them on the street. While there were still many muscle cars in existence, they were rare, and typically were not commonly raced on the street. This vacancy led to the uprising of the "boy-racer"; young men sporting modified imports (usually Japanese) with turbochargers, nitrous oxide, engine modifications, and wild bodykits consisting of aftermarket bumpers, side skirts and wings, with styling considered very radical for the time. This "boy-racer" or "ricer" image quickly caught on and spre...
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